


the sound of a War-Cry (and the sound of a soft kiss)

by Pleasedial123



Series: A Series of Sexy Occurrences With Which Sakura Makes the Most of [9]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), BAMF Haruno Sakura, BAMF Uzumaki Naruto, Started as crack and is now an actual story wtf, Things get darker than the last few episodes, Timeline What Timeline, things come to a head
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-18 15:48:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29246094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pleasedial123/pseuds/Pleasedial123
Summary: Sasuke kills Orochimaru on a cold spring day and plots and machinations come to a head as the dominoes start falling. Sakura grabs her friends, her partners, and her battle-axe with both hands and tries to keep them alive as everything starts to fall in place.There may be casualties.
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Hoshigaki Kisame, Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Itachi, Uchiha Itachi/Haruno Sakura/Hoshigaki Kisame
Series: A Series of Sexy Occurrences With Which Sakura Makes the Most of [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/875253
Comments: 120
Kudos: 424





	1. Battle-Cry

Sasuke turned on Orochimaru on a cold spring day. The reports came in surprisingly quick; or, maybe not surprising since a decent amount of resources had been used to keep a finger on that pulse. The Hokage and Sakura knew about Orochimaru’s demise within five minutes of each other. Tsunade had her network (which was Jiraya and his network and his frogs) and Sakura had a slug summon she’d had connected to Kisame summon itself to her shoulder to let her know Itachi had gained a determined look. 

“Plans have moved up,” Tsunade and Sakura said at the exact same moment as Sakura burst into the office.

They shared a look and then Tsunade locked the room down. 

“Kakashi and Tenzo are scouting out potential areas,” Tsunade said, “We’ll have to use whatever they’ve found as the site.”

“Who do we have in Konoha that we can pull onto the team?” Sakura asked, mind running a million miles an hour even as Tsunade wrote out the short-coded message for her sensei. 

“We have a couple people on your list,” Tsunade said, “A couple more are close by. A few are out on missions though and too far to help. We will have to make do.”

“Send a message to Suna,” Sakura half asked, half told.

“Already working on it, Brat,” Tsunade sneered, “But they might not be in village or ready to mobilize. You won’t get the Kazekage that’s for sure.”

“Everyone counts right now,” Sakura said diving into the safe without even asking for permission. 

She tore out the Akatsuki files and started to flip through them.

“I’m going to have to go ahead of the team. Kisame can stall Itachi for a day or two but I’d better head them off and try to help as well. Can we get the ball rolling in Oto?”

“Kid, I’m still your sensei,” Tsunade rolled her eyes, “And your Kage. I’m five steps ahead of you. Start your roster and then go pack.”

“Yes ma’am,” Sakura said, only the faintish of smiles crossing her lips. 

“And brat…”

“Yeah?” Sakura asked.

“Be careful.”

“I will shisho.”

.--.

“You smell good,” Sakura murmured into Itachi’s neck.

“So do you,” he said earnestly, if a tad amused.

“What about me?!” Kisame demanded.

Sakura and Itachi looked at him blankly until he started to grumble and then Sakura giggled and pulled him down into the grass and flowers with them.

“I brought lunch,” Sakura smirked, “But maybe we should have dessert first?”

Itachi’s hands were already undoing her shirt, his eyes vaguely focused on her and vaguely focused a million miles away. For all he had the best poker face she’d ever seen in her life, Itachi could be very obvious. Kisame saw through him as well and distracted by murmuring something filthy enough that Itachi tilted his head toward him, turning his attention wholly to them and Sakura flushed crimson. She smacked Kisame hard enough he yelped and kept half an eye on Itachi. His focus kept drifting and Sakura resisted to urge to yell ‘Sasuke’ to see if he turned like a dog hearing his name.

Kisame and Sakura exchanged a look as Itachi ducked his head to press a kiss to her throat. Sakura tried to convey that they had to tire this stupid man out and then she had a plan. Kisame just blinked at her, obviously missing the message and she sighed before grinding herself against him and tangling her hands in Itachi’s hair.

He didn’t understand the silent look but he did understand that at least. Kisame grinned wide and sharp and helped her pin Itachi down. This was their first time with all three of them and while Kisame and Itachi showed no interest in one another beyond vague drags of their hands across some skin and a few press of lips to pulse points, Kisame was still a great help in helping Sakura wear Itachi down into a incoherent mess.

.--.

Sakura rubbed sweaty palms on her pants and went over her plans over and over again in her head as people slowly trickled into the very well camouflaged camp. Tenten, Neji and Lee had all arrived together, fresh off another mission and looking travel-worn. It was only Neji’s eyes that let them find the camp and his impressed look made Sakura twitch a smile. Not that she could take all the credit she thought glancing at Kakashi and Tenzo who were sleeping at the base of a tree, out-cold in a way only high class ninja needing rest and knowing their back was watched could do so. 

Tenten, Lee, and Neji took one look at the camp made for more people, the way even the two Jonin sensei were trying to get as much rest as possible quickly, and the way Sakura stood guard and promptly copied the older men. Even Lee was quiet and worn and rolled into a bedroll with only the faintest greeting to Sakura. 

Shino, Hinata, and Kiba rolled in next, six hours after Team Gai, following their noses, and the bugs, and Hinata’s gaze. Kiba opened his mouth for a rowdy greeting, saw the various ninja still trying to get some rest and promptly shut his gob before Sakura did it for him. Team Eight exchanged looks and then Kiba and Hinata ducked out to do some quick hunting while Shino got a fire going and pulled cooking gear out. Sakura by this time had sheaves of paper in front of her and was going over the plans again, small changes made every time. 

Team Ten rolled in only two hours after Team Eight and took one look at an increasing frantic looking Sakura while everyone else was mainly awake, chowing down and rested, and promptly stole her coded notes.

“Sleep forehead,” Ino rolled her eyes as Sakura protested.

Shikamaru filed the papers back into their folder and made her seal them while Choji spread her bedroll out. 

“Just for a few hours,” Sakura finally allowed, “Wake me when Naruto gets here.”

“Will do forehead, now rest,” Ino gave her a pointed look. 

So Sakura allowed herself to be put to bed like a child, drifting off to Ino’s back against her bedroll and everyone having muted conversation over dinner. 

.--.

Sakura dreamed of Itachi’s delicate hands on her face, mumming something into her ear as Kisame’s broad hands stroked down her spine, the smell of blooming wildflowers strong in the air. Kisame had dragged Itachi there after it was discovered Sasuke had defeated Orochimaru. Itachi had went only because it was obvious he was distracted with his thoughts. Sakura had been a surprise for him, visiting under the guise of being worried about word of Sasuke and knowing Itachi was a prime source of information. They’d never talked about it but they’d had enough time together, enough interactions, that Itachi didn’t keep up the façade of hating his brother. He never told her the story but he didn’t deny his worry for his little brother and Sakura didn’t know of a better sign of trust than that. 

Sakura had hugged Itachi in a field of wildflowers, Kisame against her back, and wove her best lie yet; Akatsuki was on the move, coming for Naruto. She told Itachi Sasuke had been seen coming towards them as well. Then she continued lying and said she needed Itachi’s help, that she needed him to fight his brother for them while they dealt with Akatsuki, to stop Sasuke from helping destroy Naruto.

And Itachi, a man obviously distracted thinking of his demise, hadn’t realized the neat little trap she was planning. 

“Pst, hey Sakura.”

“Hmm,” Sakura asked as she came awake, groggy.

She peered up into Naruto’s face and then sat up and took the bowl of food he offered. The sun was a bare blip on the horizon and Sakura blinked blearily realizing she’d slept the evening and night away. She turned to give Ino a sharp look and found her friend sleeping beside Chouji. Most everyone was sleeping actually, she realized, Only Kakashi and Yamato tending a small fire, Naruto and Sai beside them and a pot of porridge on the fire. 

Sakura slipped from her bedroll and joined them, already eating her own bowl of breakfast. 

“When did you get in?” Sakura asked around a mouthful of porridge. 

“Midnight. Ish.” Naruto shrugged, “Sai and I got some sleep but we’d just been in Konoha until now so we aren’t as tired as everyone who had been out on missions. Team Ten was with us in Konoha though and I don’t get why we didn’t just travel together.”

“We’re trying not to draw attention to us, dickless,” Sai said blandly, “Small groups are better to do that.”

“Yeah but what’s the big difference between five and two,” Naruto crossed his arms. 

“You.” Kakashi said lazily, book tilted towards the firelight so he could read in the dusk, “Idiot.”

Naruto sent him a glower but didn’t refute it. Naruto and Sai must have made a racket on their way here, just like Tsunade had planned, being obvious in their direction of travel. Naruto knew this of course, he was just being contrary. And nervous. 

In the dusk Naruto took her hand. Sakura squeezed it tight and didn’t let go while Sai sat a little too close on Naruto’s other side.

The rest of the crew woke slowly, coming awake in groups and teams until they were all sitting around the tiny fire eating breakfast in the dawn light. They are silent in some ways, but not in others and there was a murmur of low conversation. None of them knew why they were here yet, not really, but they must have had suspicions sitting on the back of their tongues. The group that was at one time the Rookies, was at one point the shining star of their generation above and below. They were the ones designated as the people who would rise in rank, hand picked as but children to be grown and prepared for what they would need to be. They would never be the ones hidden in anonymity, hidden behind desks and paperwork.

Such high hopes for all of them. She hoped she didn’t make any of them explode, like stars burning out before their time. 

When breakfast was cleared and the camp packed up, Kakashi laid a map out on the ground, hand drawn and recent, with marks for various landmarks. 

“Well, time to talk about the mission,” Kakashi smiled looking carefree, “It’s a pretty straightforward ambush to be honest.”

They all leaned forward, waiting for more and Kakashi just smiled like he’d said everything that needed to be said. Behind everyone’s twitching expression, Sakura and Naruto locked gazes and rolled their eyes. Kakashi was such an annoyance about shit like this. He liked them to be annoyed and narrow-eyed with irritation until they blurted out their questions. And then he’d lead them in circles unless they asked the right questions. Trust him to be like that even for something this serious. True he wouldn’t let them leave without getting all the information, but it was like pulling teeth. 

“An ambush?” Neji raised a brow, the speaker for Team Gai, “Why such a large team?”

“Ah, good question,” Kakashi chirped, “Why don’t we ask the mission leader. Why such a large group Sakura?”

Every eye turned to Sakura and she saw the slight surprise in most gazes. She wasn’t offended. She knew they must all be looking at Kakashi and Yamato (retired ANBU), or at natural leader Naruto (apprenticed under two sannin), or even at Shikamaru who was being groomed for jonin commander. They looked at Sakura who specialized in medical jutsu, who only left the hospital for missions as a break from the white walls (as far as they knew). They looked at Sakura who most of them hadn’t seen in months upon months, must think her still a chunin and a stranger to the battlefield. 

To be fair that was the appearance she and Tsunade had worked very hard to foster. While Sakura had been a green apprentice her identity had been downplayed or hidden because it gave her protection. Her anonymity was so good that even after killing S-rank criminal Sasori of the red Sands, barely anyone recognized her 

Even now, habits were hard to get rid of and no one knew what Tsunade taught Sakura beyond hospital work. Sakura had worked very hard at making herself look like an overworked medical intern who spent too long in the hospital running about. Only those in the know realized Sakura was in truth pretty much running the hospital. At 18. That wasn’t including all the work Sakura did at Tsunade’s side. Being the Hokage’s apprentice wasn’t just about medical-jutsu, or even super strength, it was about leading and running a village. And Sakura, who was with Tsunade every waking moment outside of the hospital, knew far more and had a hand in far more than people thought.

Sakura was proud of herself but knew most people didn’t know enough of what she knew and did to realize they should be as well. 

“Why such a large team for an ambush? Who is the target?” Neij repeated the question.

Sakura mulled how to break the news that they were about to face Akatsuki. Shikamaru’s sharp gaze looked at her hesitation and his eyes narrowed.

“Are we starting a war?” Shikamaru asked lowly, interrupting.

They were all unusually solemn looking. Even Hinata had a grim look, eyes sharp as they mulled that idea.

“You were picked for this mission because you as trusted,” Sakura said instead of answering, “You are loyal to Konoha and we trust you to follow commands, even if they look like bad decisions.”

“And we’re pretty strong,” Kiba joked breaking some of the tension.

“A bit,” Sakura allowed a small smile, “and we are going to head a war off before it can start.”

Sakura saw Shikamaru tense, saw Naruto’s grim snarl, saw Tenten hide a tremble in her lips. Everyone reacted and Sakura knew them enough to recognize all their nervous tells; the seriousness of the situation was settling like a cold blanket across the camp.

“Akatsuki,” Shikamaru realized flatly.

Naruto’s snarl was audible now. 

“Kakashi and Yamato have been on a long-term mission laying a trap down,” Sakura explained, “Tomorrow, Akatsuki believes Naruto and Killer Bee are having a secret meeting in a forest a way over.”

“An opportunity for two of the strongest Bijuu,” Ino mulled, “Akatsuki won’t risk giving up that opportunity.”

“Will it draw them all out?” Neji frowned.

“They also believe Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame have betrayed them and plan to kill both jinchuriki to spite them,” Sakura said, “They will have to come in force to counter that. To add to the mess, intelligence has been brought forth that Sasuke and his Oto entourage plan to use this to get Itachi.”

There was silence for a moment and Sakura didn’t say anything else as she let them all absorb that. 

“What is the plan when they realize Uchiha and Hoshigaki aren’t betraying them?” Sai asked looking straight at Sakura.

“I picked this team because I trust you,” Sakura repeated.

There was another moment of silence.

“Holy shit,” Ino blurted out, “Really?”

“You’ve been in contact with Uchiha and Hoshigaki and you’re alive?” Kiba whistled sounding impressed.

“Sakura are you okay?!” Lee fretted even as it was obvious she was fine. 

She wanted to make some snappy remark about the time in Tea country, with Lee only a door away, but thought better of dropping that bomb.

“It’s complicated and I don’t have time to explain. You need to trust me,” she said instead.

“Like you are trusting us,” Chouji spoke up.

She smiled at him and he gave her a firm nod.

“Let’s talk strategy. Why? Because you must have plans,” Shino said.

“I do,” Sakura said taking a deep breath, “Like every ninja’s dream, we have control over the field a full few hours before we drag the enemy in, so first off, we’re going to use it to our advantage. Naruto, Kiba, Kakashi, and Tenten are going to trap the hell out of it. Seals, weapons, everything that can be used to our advantage. Everyone needs to watch them work so they know what kind of war-field they’re stepping into. Then we’re splitting up into teams. We need to isolate our opponents because they know how to work together, but most prefer not to, so we will use that to our advantage.”

She waited for nods before she continued, turning to look at Team Ten.

“Shikamaru, Ino, Chouji, you will be taking on Kakuzu. I’ll give you the folder on him. Short is he’s immortal because he has four hearts. You will need to destroy all of them.”

She turned to Team Eight.

“Hinata, Kiba, Shino, you have one of the leaders of Ame, Konan. She manipulates paper and often switches out with paper clones. Use your tracking abilities to keep her close. She will try to get to Pein so you may run up against Naruto and Kakashi. The Leader Pein has control over multiple bodies and it’s going to be a hard fight, which is why Naruto is going to use an army of clones under Kakashi’s command.”

Team Gai met her gaze as she turned to them.

“Lee, Neji, Tenten, you’re taking the Bomber Deidara. He fights long range with explosions and you will need Neji’s vision not to get hit while Tenten uses long ranged weapon if he takes to the sky. You will need Lee’s speed to dodge the bombs and try to drag him closer. Try to keep him in close quarters but beware he has a suicide technique.”

She turned to the last two. 

“Sai, Yamato, you will be fighting the creature Zetsu. Not a lot in known about him but that he can meld with earth and can split. Yamato you can track him under ground and Sai can create an army of creatures if he splits. Hoshigaki Kisame will be clashing with Sasuke and his Oto-nin, while Uchiha Itachi will be fighting the shadowy figure Tobi. Lastly I will be taking on Hidan. Any questions?”

There was a moment of silence as everyone mulled over the plans.

“You’ll be fighting alone?” Naruto finally asked, face serious, “Sakura…”

“Tsunade helped me plan the battle-field,” Sakura said, “And we can’t spare anyone to come help me. Hidan is effectively immortal and uses huge amounts of damage against his opponents. I’m the only one who can heal quick enough to keep on top of him. His Taijutsu is weak, he barely uses ninjutsu, and so except for his immortality he can be seen as one of the weakest links. I’ll be fine.”

She got a few looks and knew it wasn’t because they doubted her, but because they were worried for her. 

“On another note, we want to make these fights quick. In and out, don’t draw your opponent into philosophical monologues,” she said giving Naruto especially a pointed look, “The faster we hit them the more they’ll be stunned by surprise. Use it and get out. Go help others when you’re done. Hopefully working with your teams and having the advantage of traps and first attack will let us win this. If we don’t…”

“If we don’t, we all die,” Kakashi finished for her, smiling as if they were talking about the weather, “Now come collect your dossiers.”

They did so, breaking off to study them with furrowed brows and mutters even as Naruto and Kakashi started to lay out markings on the map for trap potential. 

“Will you be okay, Sakura,” Sai asked so low she barely heard him.

“I’ll be fine,” she said flatly.

He looked at her with his dark blank eyes, studying her like he so often did. 

“You will win,” he said easily, “But it is hard to send those you love out to fight. I am learning it makes a person worry more to see those they love fight than they themselves fighting the same battle.”

Sakura took a deep calming breath and clasped his shoulder.

“You’re learning very well,” she smiled faintly, “I worry for everyone. If they die, it’s on me.”

“No. It’s on the Akatsuki,” he shook his head, “You do what you must to stop them, to save Konoha. I am behind you, Sakura.”

His hand danced across hers, in a light display of affection that he had slowly learned. Then he was moving to talk with Yamato. Sakura looked at everyone preparing and knew it would be a bit before they set off to lay their traps. Sakura sat down and started to meditate, the diamond on her forehead buzzing. She might just need her Seal of a Hundred today.

.--.

The traps were laid down beautifully. It was a work of art and Sakura had a brand-new appreciation for Naruto and his pranks.

“Learned from Iruka,” Naruto said, bashfully rubbing the back of his neck, “You should see the stuff he can do with pretty much nothing. It’s amazing.”

Sakura (and a few others) boggled silently at the idea of their old academy teacher being a death master with traps. She supposed she shouldn’t be surprised that a man with a spine of steel (teaching children knives, running the mission desk, demanding correct paperwork from bloodied dead-eyed jonin) was good at setting traps. He seemed like the kind of guy who laid in wait like a spider for his prey to fuck up for him. 

“Okay,” Kakashi dusted his hands, “That’s that. Naruto and I will lead the chase to here where the seal and explosions should help separate the Akatsuki. Naruto has disguised clones, henged like Kumo and Konoha scouts spread around the area and the Akatsuki should be here before noon if reports are correct. Everyone be ready.”

He put his hands together and a moment later a cloud of smoke blew away to reveal what looked like the notorious Killer B.

“And good luck,” he raised a hand, giving his patented Kakashi eye-smile even in disguise, “No one is allowed to die today.”

“Yes Sir!”

Sakura watched as they broke off into their teams, Naruto and Kakashi standing close together to scheme. Sakura looked up as a crow alighted on a branch, shuffling its feathers but otherwise silent. Sakura glanced at the Konoha-nin, at her Team, knowing it might be the last time she saw some of them breathing. If only they could have afforded a large team without sending alarm bells ringing through the nations at such a large force. If only they could have afforded more jonin sensei without alerting certain factions in Konoha. 

Sakura breathed and turned to follow the crow. 

Itachi and Kisame awaited in a clearing just outside of the range of Neji’s Byakugan and Shino’s bugs and Yamato’s senses. How they knew where the edge of that range was, was not something she knew. 

“Kisame, Itachi,” she said warmly despite the brittle smile on her lips.

“Kitten,” Kisame grinned.

“Sakura,” Itachi dipped his head.

“Ready for this?” she tried nonchalantly. 

“What? Fighting former allies, all S-rank and absolutely crazy and wanting to grind our bones into dust?” Kisame laughed, “Yeah why wouldn’t we be.”

Sakura gave another weak smile and looked to Itachi. He looked back, gaze a flat black.

“We do what we must,” he finally said.

Sakura thought about the scroll that was labelled Uchiha Itachi in the Hokage’s safe. She thought about how Itachi had been doing what he must for his entire life.

“Yes,” she agreed softly, “I suppose we do.”

She licked the inside of her teeth and looked at these two men who were older than her by years and experience. She looked at Kisame who was old enough to be her father but who hadn’t had a home for as long as she had been alive, who had lived through more conflict than she thought she might ever see. She looked at Itachi, who should have been an Uchiha Clan Head surrounded by family and fortune, and who had spilled more blood in the name duty than she could have ever stomached. 

“Congratulations,” she felt herself say to Itachi, “Your brother is a pride to the Uchiha name. He defeated one of the Sanin on his own.”

Itachi bowed his head, eyes both proud and filled with grief. 

“I know it is much to ask of you, to let him go for now,” Sakura said softly, “But I trust no other to take on this Tobi.”

“…you make the right choice,” Itachi said softly, “I wish I could face my brother, but he comes second to this threat.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be giving him a hand,” Kisame tried for a grin, “And if the pesky little Uchiha shows up early and tries to interfere, I can keep him busy enough. Tobi is more important to bringing down if we want this plan to work.” 

“Well,” Sakura swallowed, “Good luck then.”

Itachi ducked in close, hand rising to tuck a stray strand of air behind her ear, his fingers lingering on the skin. His hand slid around to cup the back of her neck and he leaned in. Sakura leaned up to meet him automatically. The kiss was quick and sweet and made a flush break out across her face at how intimate it felt. 

He pulled back from it but lingered, hand still on the back of her neck. She felt his breath, hot against her skin as he pressed a butterfly light kiss to her cheek and then pulled her closer to murmur in her ear.

“I love you,” he said softly, just loud enough for her to hear.

And before it could sink in, before her eyes even had time to widen he was gone. All that was left was her skin flushed from his heat.

“Wait! WHAT?! That’s not fair! Get back here you son of a bitch!”

She growled in irritation but he did not head her threat and reappear. Kisame laughed at her.

“How even is this my life?” she muttered, irritated. 

A noise came from behind her, an indecipherable noise of outrage and shock a mixed with a sort of squeaking. Sakura turned to find Naruto flailing a look of stunned shock on his face as he tried to create words. Kisame took one look at her overly dramatic teammate and lost it, roaring with laughter as the blond simply flailed about. 

“Oh Kitten! You make life so much fun!” Kisame laughed. 

“I’m glad someone is amused at this soap show that is my life,” Sakura huffed.

Kisame grinned like an asshole and then waved a hand to draw her closer.

“Give us a kiss good luck then kitten. I’m off to war for you.”

Sakura ignored the outraged sputter from Naruto and stepped up to Kisame. She stood on her tiptoes and he still had to lean over. She drew him into an absolutely filthy kiss and behind her Naruto seemed to give a death keen. 

“Thank you for doing this,” Sakura whispered, “I hope you bastards know I love you too.”

“Now Kitten, don’t say words in the heat of the moment. You’ll regret them latter,” Kisame tried to joke.

He tried to pull back and she gripped him by the front of his shirt, pulling him back down to her level so harshly he almost fell.

“I love you,” she repeated grimly, “do not doubt me Kisame.”

He stared at her, surprise melting away into something like...like wonder. 

“I’ll never doubt you,” he murmured staring at her like she wasn’t real.

“I’ll love you,” she repeated a tad more gently, “don’t brush that away.”

“Sakura,” he said, voice cracking as he looked ready to crumble, like she had dealt a death blow. 

And then an explosion sounded of in the distance. 

“That’s our signal,” Sakura let him go, “Naruto, you’d better be a clone. Get lost and don’t breathe a word of this or I’ll rip your spine out and strangle you with it.”

Naruto, who had looked cationic with shock snapped into fight mode instantaneously and nodded sharply. 

“I came to say be careful,” he called to her.

“I will be as careful as you,” she retorted. 

His expression of mock horror made her smile, but then he shot her a truly concerned look and she gave him a soft gentle smile. No more words were exchanged as he burst into a cloud of smoke. They would both make it out of this alive. They had too. 

“Go find your vantage point,” Sakura told Kisame, “and don’t get too distracted by my fight with Hidan.”

“Why would I get distracted?” he raised a brow. 

She could see him visibly finding himself and straightening, trying not to act like she hadn’t punched him right in the emotions.

“Cause I’m gonna use your gift to chop him into little itty-bitty pieces. It will be beautiful.”

Kisame stared for a long breathless moment. 

“I didn’t think I could be any more attracted to you and then you say things like that. I didn’t know it was possible to be this aroused.”

Kisame leapt away and Sakura was alone in the clearing. She took a deep breath to center herself, to find a quasi calm inside of her. Life was going to change after this. 

If she lived to see it change. She had an S-class missing-nin to go fight by herself first. 

With a sliver of Chakra and a displacement of air she had her hands full of war-axe, all gleaming steel. She looked at the roaring tiger on the blade and found courage.

She ran towards her meeting with fate. 

.--.

Hidan was…Well, Hidan was ten pounds of crazy in a 5 pound bag. He was bursting at the seams with all of it, eyes wide and wild and grin so manic it made Sakura squeamish. There was devotion on his lips and this fervor that would have made a slower man shake with it. 

“I’m going to rip your heart out,” Hidan told her, eyes glinting, “And feast upon it.”

“Do you know how many diseases get transmitted through the blood?” Sakura asked him, really quite curious if he knew.

She dodged a whirl of his scythe. What an impractical weapon she though as she ducked the blades. One blade would have been fine, but three just made it heavier, more unwieldly. But then again, it suited Hidan; both of them were simply violence and dedication, with no skill in sight. 

If not or his immortality, his brute strength, his blind speed, Hidan would probably have not lived to see adulthood. 

“Jashin enjoys the taste,” Hidan said, “Any and all ills of the words are his to gorge on.”

“You’re a freak,” Sakura told his feverish expression.

“And you’re a bitch,” he bared his teeth in the caricature of a smile. 

Their blades made a terrible racket as they collided. Sakura threw his scythe away from her. It whirled right back and slammed into the ground where she had been standing. A piece of debris sliced her leg and she was already healing the wound before the rock had even fully left her flesh. She was hypervigilant for any wound. She couldn’t risk even a drop of blood being left in the open. 

Hidan was gunning for her again and Sakura stayed one step ahead simply because she knew the land. For all he was not skilled, Hidan was an S-rank ninja for a reason and she was being pushed in circles. 

Sakura was an amazing medic and she wasn't going to be modest about it. She could burn wounds away in an instant and had stamina and strength that matched after years of rigorous training under Tsunade. She could match him in strength and didn't have to worry about any injuries sustained. So Sakura had been picked to fight Hidan.

But she was still facing an S-class berserker and that required some planning. 

Naruto and Kakashi had trapped the forests to hell and back but that was only good enough if you got your enemy into the trees. And Hidan wasn’t very bright but he wasn’t stupid enough to just follow her where she was obviously trying to lead him. So she had to make him think she didn’t want him to go that way. Which was why at the moment Sakura kept trying to lead him away from the trees and he kept herding her in circles. 

Sakura lifted her axe, the flat outwards and winced as the screech of his blades hitting it. Sakura had done some very intensive lessons to learned how to handle her new weapons; had went through everyone in Konoha wo knew how to wield one and badgered them for tips and lessons. Her axe was a boon her mainly for the reason it was large enough for her to mostly hide behind like a shield. It was also heavy enough he was unlikely to steal it out of her hands. 

Sakura made a silent prayer to anyone (not this nutjobs god at least) and put the second part of her plan into motion. First part was distract the whacko and make him think they were at something like a stalemate. Second part was what she was about to try and do; get hooked by his scythe and thrown in the opposite direction she was trying to lead him. She’d been trying to move him away from the trees like she didn’t want to get caught in them. 

Kisame had told her Hidan wasn’t dumb, but he wasn’t all that smart either; he was a berserker, he didn’t need battle strategy. So as long as she hit her plan under some flimsy front it could work. Kisame had also warned her that Hidan liked to throw his scythe around less like a scythe and more like a blade on a chain as he whipped it around; it wasn’t so much a beloved weapon as a tool to carve up as much blood as possible. Itachi was the one to tell her he was pants at ninjutsu (which was Kakuzu’s job on the team). Kakashi had been the one to offer her a jutsu stolen off an Iwa-nin that helped further her plan.

Sakura let the next blow of Hidan’s scythe knock her axe clear through the air, spinning it away from her and back towards the forest. It made a ‘thunk’ as it lodged in a tree. Sakura had already finished her hand-signs behind it and put on her best acting face as she lost it.

“No!” she yelped, lunging for the blade.

She lunged for her blade, dodging the first blow of the scythe coming for her back. She let the second blow nail her just across her stomach as she reached for her axe. Sakura wrapped around the blade as if she was folding under the blow and it was the quickest slight of hand to crush a small vial of blood over it and her stomach. Then she was thrown clear and into the tree cover, knocking into the underbrush. Sakura winced as she felt the blow. Her entire chest had a thin layer of rock over it, Rock Skin Armour, but that did nothing to absorb the power behind the blow. She felt dust and rock crumble away from her skin even as she listened to Hidan’s crow of victory. 

Here was where she wasn’t sure Hidan would enter the trees. She had tipped blood on his blade and she knew he only needed a drop. But would he do his ritual right where he stood, where he couldn’t see her, or would he do what they had hypothesized and come after her to see her suffering. They had put a lot of money on Hidan wanting to see the suffering and Sakura nearly sighed with relief as he entered the treeline, coming after her.

Sakura clutched at her stomach hand stained with blood. She’d seen enough wounds that she exactly how to act like she had one and she gave a low groan of pain, trying to push back. 

“I’m going to enjoy your cries,” Hidan breathed, eyes manic as he grinned at her, “And when you start begging I will know completion.”

Sakura let herself shudder. Hidan’s scythe was dug into the earth in an instant, scratching out his circle so quick Sakura was actually impressed with his coordination. And then he was licking the blood of his scythe and Sakura was back to looking at him like he was a nutjob. Fucking gross. 

Here was another test of theirs. Would animal blood work as well as humans? They hadn’t wanted to risk a dead person’s blood, nor a living persons blood even at a distance. So Sakura had roped up deer. She’d drained a decent amount of blood for her ruse, and then they’d tranquilized it and left it laying not to far from here.

And it seemed to do the trick.

She watched Hidan’s skin blacken, watched the white lines burn themselves into him and the way his grin turned somehow even crazier. 

So here’s the thing; immortal ninja weren’t common, but they did seem to exist. Orochimaru and Kakuzu bragged so. But the thing with immortality was it was all tricks. For Orochimaru and Kakuzu some people even knew how they did it, if not the exact mechanics of possession and heart theft. But Hidan who claimed it was his gods will was a mystery. He had been dismembered, beheaded, drowned, even burned and reports still said he kept screaming. If sewn back together, or placed together really, he would have a full recovery in days. 

So what do you do with a being that claims immortality? Well. Humans had already dealt with nine such beings in a way; sealing seemed to be the answer. 

Sakura wasn’t that great at seals; she had the basics as all medics did with a slant towards healing (also healing seal mishaps). But Kakashi, well her sensei seemed to pull skills from his ass and could boast the Yondaime and an Uzumaki as his teacher. And so Sakura had been thrown into a nice little bit of trees and Hidan had helpfully stepped right in as well. 

And while Hidan cackled dramatically like the whacko he was, Sakura neatly set off the trap.

Hidan gurgled, choking on his laugh as her axe came spinning towards her and conveniently through his neck. Chakra strings were very handy for someone with the chakra control to use them. And Kankuro had been very grateful for her save all those years ago from Sasori; grateful enough to give her a very basic puppeting technique. Her axe handle hit her palms with a nice meaty thunk, and then Sakura was up and fully decapitating Hidan from the safe distance of outside his circle.

Hidan was screaming curses at her even as his head bounced. His cursing ended with a scream as Sakura set off the surrounding traps. Kakashi had trapped more then one area but Sakura was pretty good at making people fall where she wanted them to if she did say so herself. Hidan had followed her right into the epicenter of a trapping seal. With a flash of chakra and blood his body was gone, a buried scroll burning itself out of the leaf cover. And then a scroll whipped from her pouch sealed away the screaming head. 

And Sakura was left with her axe in hand and two blood sealed scrolls. 

“Well,” Sakura said into the sudden silence, “That was…rather anticlimactic actually. Good job team.”

Silence answered her, only the faint sound of battle in the distance ringing out. Sakura breathed deeply once and pictured the battle map in her head. Without another moment she turned on her heel and headed north.

.--.

Sakura threw herself as high as possible into the air, chakra pounding through her legs as she cleared trees and foliage and shot into the sky. For a weightless moment she hovered, her cresting at her ascent and her eyes flashed about as far as she could see. She could see clouds of dirt and dust in the distance, the arch of lightening in another corner, the spurt of flame over there. Across the forest war raged and Sakura got a brief bird’s eye view of it all. 

They had known some would finish fighting earlier than others due to complexity of plans or death, and they knew exactly who they were to go help afterwards. Sakura had planned for every contingency and then Kakashi had planned for more than that, and then Tsunade had planned even more. Sakura knew exactly what her next move would be and who she had to go help. 

As she started her decent Sakura saw great white wings sprout into being, shooting upwards. That wasn’t a good sign. Sakura hit the ground running. She narrowly dodged a fire ball that blasted through hundreds of meters of trees and looked back in time to see Lee ricochet off a tree in a wide twisting dodge and vanish into the distance. Sakura resisted every urge in herself to go darting off to help. She knew where she needed to be. 

Sakura followed the map in her head until she ended up in a clearing ripped up to hell and back. Shino was laying on the edge, unmoving and Sakura was on him in an instance. With barely a hand sign there was a slug beside her, the size of an average man.

“Do what you can,” she said grimly after she made sure he was alive. 

The slug bobbed its eyestalks at her and Sakura left him behind. Despite everything in her screaming to help she had a job to do and if she faltered more people could die. She was a medic, but she was the battlefield commander before that. 

Sakura followed the claw gouged earth until she found Kiba and Hinata fighting with Yamato and Sai. She felt a moment of fear and panic. They were not where they should be, not fighting who they should be. They were also fighting desperately, bogged down by twisting white and black clones. 

Yamato caught sight of her and flashed hand signs meant to send her on her way. She wanted to aske what had happened to Konan, why they had deviated from their course, but they were fighting so hard against the unknown creature Zetsu she could not afford to get involve. Sakura left.

Sakura got her answers only a short while later when she came upon Kakashi and Naruto’s fight. Or more accurately, only Naruto’s fight which seemed to be more words than fists. Konan stood in place of Naruto’s original opponent Pein and she was not fighting him but silent and still as Naruto said something lowly. At Sakura’s appearance she looked up, eyes sharp and deadly and for a moment Sakura was locked in a fierce staring battle with the older woman. 

“I would like to see if you claims hold truth, Uzumaki,” the woman said.

“I promise,” Naruto said grimly.

There was a flurry of white paper wings and the woman was gone.

“What have you done?” Sakura asked, half aghast as Naruto waved her off and half in tired acceptance.

He had obviously done some bullshit talk-no-jutsu. 

“I’ll tell you later,” Naruto said far too brightly, “But Konan and Nagato are okay.”

Sakura resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose and sigh.

“Where is Kakashi?”

“He went to help Itachi or Kisame. Which ever one needed him.”

“Well then,” Sakura said, “looks like we need to follow him. We need to deal with Sasuke. You got through to two of our largest enemies. Now it’s time to talk to our most pig-headed one.”

"Sasuke, " Naruto sharpened, eyes a tad to red.

“Sasuke,” Sakura said with a faint vindictive smile, “Time to go clean up our responsibility.”

"Yeah. We gotta go beat his face in and then deal with his whole brother complex,” Naruto said, teeth sharpened to fangs when he smiled. 

"I'm going break his legs," Sakura declared.

"Then he can't run away again," Naruto brightened disturbingly.

Maybe Naruto was getting as tired as she was over how much of a slippery basted Sasuke had been over the years. They shared a smile and then they were off, barrelling through the trees as fast as they could. Sakura checked her chakra levels as they ran and Naruto started to glow red, fingers turning to claws. 

“You got a handle on that?” Sakura asked only once.

“Yeah. Kurama and I are cool,” Naruto grinned, voice deep and rough, “He likes the idea of breaking Sasuke’s legs too.”

Sakura pointedly did not ask after any of that fuckery. She had no time for a breakdown over how Naruto had a name for his chakra beast and they were ‘cool’. Instead she pushed herself faster. They burst out of the trees into a ring of pure chaos and destruction.

Sakura and Naruto landed beside each other, looking over the raging battlefield and had a few moments to come to terms with what was happening. Kisame was fighting three ninja who were Sasuke’s Taka team from her files. He looked furious and enraged and heartbroken as he roared more like an animal than a man. Not far away from him, close enough jutsus got quite close, Kakashi-sensei was fighting the mysterious Tobi, who’s mask had been ripped off to show a scared face and a burning sharingan. Kakashi sensei looked like he was exactly two seconds away from shattering completely, fist sheathed in lighting and desperation ravaging across his face. 

And in the epicenter was Sasuke with his fist through Itachi’s stomach and a look of sheer shock on his face. Itachi was smiling.

Sakura screamed.

.--.


	2. Burn through Me

Sakura’s scream cut through even the noise of war as the howl echoed with rage and grief in equal measure. Itachi was falling, crumpling to the ground as Sasuke stood so still he looked dead. 

“Sakura,” Naruto managed, something like grief in his voice as well.

He had just witnessed what Itachi meant to her (had just witnessed the confession that still fluttered in her heart). If there was one thing Naruto understood it was love and companionship. He treasured it like no other and so he knew what it was like when someone tried to rip it away, tried to rip your heart out. Sakura didn’t care for his sympathy. She cared for the man laying on the ground, discarded and soaked in blood. 

Kisame was howling in the distance as well and Sakura moved before she was even conscious of it. She was on Sasuke before he’d even gotten over whatever shock had stilled him. Sakura saw something like tears in his eye as they swirled into stars. He looked at her with burning red stars dripping with Itachi’s blood, and Sakura hated like she had never hated before. 

Sakura screamed her challenge, angry and grieved beyond words, and aimed her fist straight at his skull. Sasuke managed to dodge with something like instinct, blood pooling and dripping from his eyes in a parody of tears. 

Sakura was sure they would have fought to the death like that, Sakura drenched in rage and Sasuke drenched in regret. Would have rendered each other to dust in a grief-match that would have leveled the surrounding area. Sakura was sure they wouldn’t have stopped for anything. 

But their momentum was stolen from them by Naruto. It always was. Their linchpin, the heart of Team Seven, dove between them, kicked Sasuke away hard enough she heard the snap of his arm and grabbed Sakura’s fist like it wasn’t primed to crush bone. She felt his feet sink into the earth, felt the world crater around them from the force she bore down, but Naruto was cloaked in bubbling red chakra and did what he did best; endured. It was all a caricature of the day on the roof so long ago when they were children. But this time It was Naruto trying to stop his teammates. Team Seven was a train wreck, she though somewhere past the hurricane of emotions, a cycle of violence and anger. 

“Sakura,” Naruto said, and his tone was heartbroken for her, “Go to him.”

Sakura went. She heard him say something to Sasuke, heard a low angry growl and the sound of a fight pick up as Naruto took her place and tried to beat some sense into their wayward teammate. Sakura didn’t look back or she’d just dive back in aimed at Sasuke’s throat. Instead she went to Itachi, kneeling by his side.

He had no breath. Had no pulse. But he had a smile on his face. Sakura looked at him for a long still moment, counting seconds in missed heartbeats.

“I refuse,” she told him, “I refuse to let you die like this!”

The brain died without oxygen within 4-6 mins. It had been less than a minute since he’d fallen, and he would have been breathing a moment still after that. A slug appeared in a cloud of smoke and wordlessly took in the situation. 

“Do what you can,” Sakura ordered and pleaded all at once.

The slug nodded and Sakura rolled him onto his back and put her mouth to his. She sunk her chakra into Itachi, chasing after a heartbeat and felt her chakra mingle with his fading coils and the slug’s. 

Sakura was a damned good medic. She was nearly the best in the world, nearly surpassing her master. Itachi had only been dead for one minute and technically his all his life had not yet fled him. Sakura cracked her metaphorical knuckles as she breathed into him. Her slug curled on his chest, it’s chakra focused on pumping his heart in a parody of a heartbeat. Sakura’s chakra was like a wildfire of intent, burning through him to make his blood pump and his cells regenerate and his body to try to fucking live. She pressed one hand to the gaping hole that had once been his stomach and started to play god. 

The war raged on around her but she had no time for Kakashi screaming as he faced something that was breaking him or Naruto roaring as he tried to bloodily reforge bonds or even Kisame who must have placed his trust in her hands as he kept everyone away. 

Sakura molded her chakra like she was sewing cloth, fine and carefully and absolutely perfectly as she spun it smaller and smaller, sewing it into Itachi’s very being. 

“You aren’t allowed to die,” Sakura told him as she pressed another lungful of air into him. 

If there had been nothing left, if he had been missing an organ Sakura might have had to get up and go rip one out if a living person to transplant. But the chidori had cut through him on an angle, taking out bits and pieces here and there, a handful of lungs there. But there were still pieces left and Sakura’s chakra latched onto them and started to regenerate them at cellular level. The lungs were easy, she’d already had to fix those once before and her chakra almost recognized the feel of them. She’d also fixed a lot of gut wounds in her time in the hospital. 

Her chakra worked like a well-oiled machine under her guidance and Sakura played with life and death as she slowly did what she needed to. 

“Sakura,” her slug called, “Stop.”

“No,” Sakura gasped forcing another breath into Itachi’s lungs.

“Sakura,” the slug said, falling from his chest to curl around her hand, “You can stop.”

“I can’t-” she gasped desperately.

“You can,” the slug told her as gently as Tsunade did when ….

Itachi hacked up his first breath, choking on it as the air was sucked desperately between his teeth. Eyes as dark as the void between stars looked up at her, hazed and blearily.

“Sakura,” he said, voice low and wrecked, “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Sakura sobbed, “You aren’t allowed to die.”

He had the strength the run shaking fingers across her pulse point on her wrist, an agreement or argument she didn’t know, before he was out cold. 

Sakura stumbled to her feet because she had no time to weep for the living, no time to pause. 

“I will watch him,” her slug told her kindly, curling against him again.

A dome of water was rolling furiously around her, visible sharks prowling around it like guard dogs, blocking the rest of the world out. Sakura looked down at Itachi one last time, and then threw herself into the waves, the cold water jolting her back to full awareness. The sharks nudged her forward, helped push her out of the water. Sakura realized as she breached the surface that she hadn’t been surrounded by a wall of water, she had simply been at the bottom of a new lake. 

Sakura pulled herself onto the surface of the lake and looked at the battlefield now held on the top of a knoll or in the tree tops, most avoiding the open shark-infested water. Sakura took stock of the fights because she had to before she just jumped in willy-nilly. 

Kakashi and Naruto were going full steam at the mysterious Tobi and judging by the shouting and moving mouths there was a verbal battle happening as well. Yamato and Sai were leaping through the trees like frogs, chasing down the multiple Zetsu and when Sakura focused she could feel Team Eight doing the same, all moving in tandem. Team Gai and Team Ten were off in the distance doing something, hopefully winning. And Kisame was still tossing Team Taka around like rag-dolls. Sasuke was with them now and Sakura was only faintly curious what had pulled Naruto and Sasuke apart. 

What should have been space for curiosity, for calculation was lost to cold hearted rage. Sakura knew it was irrational when Itachi was alive, when Sasuke obviously regretted, but logic had very little place beside the rage and Sakura brutally cut it off. Rage was a good thing to feel in battle, made her fists sharper if she didn’t let it control her.

Her leather gloves creaked as she clenched her blood-stained fists. She made a decision. 

Kisame had Team Taka in retreat and she was visibly watching Kakashi-sensei splinter. Sakura aimed her fists hard and true and followed her first Team, followed Team Seven. She was done watching their backs and it was her turn to lead the charge. Her grudge match could come later. 

Sakura burst into the fight like an explosion, knocking Kakashi out of his spot with merciless hands that pressed his head between his knees midstride.

“Breath Kakashi-sensei. Leave this to us.”

“I-it’s-” Kakashi-sensei tried, breath stuttering. 

“Leave it to us,” Sakura repeated flatly. 

The man facing them bared his teeth, scars swirling the side of his face and rage that reflected hers shining in his eyes. He looked at Kakashi like Kakashi-sensei was his whole objective. Sakura and Naruto disagreed.

“Give me the rundown,” Sakura told Naruto as she slammed her fist into the earth, sending rock hurtling towards the opponent.

“Uchiha Obito. Sensei’s old teammate thought dead. Acted like Uchiha Madara. Crazier than Sasuke,” Naruto said, voice so hoarse and animalistic it was hard to parse, “He’s also got some ugly seal on his heart that I can feel in his blood.”

Sakura sneered and threw her fist at the man, only slightly caught of guard as it phased through him. He vanished into thin air but Naruto didn’t look surprised only more tense.

“Teleportation between dimensions,” he growled, eyes darting around. 

“I have the same eye,” Kakashi managed, standing.

He had a fine tremor in his hand and a look in his eye that said Sakura was going to have to hold him down after the battle top stop him from hurting himself.

“Multiple dimensions or one?” Sakura asked.

“A personal one,” Kakashi said, “Its how he phases through attacks; he goes half into it. Only my eye can counter.”

“So what we need is one man on the inside and one on the outside to punt him back and forth,” Sakura said reasonably.

They both blinked at her. 

“Kakashi-sensei will stay here and pull the winner out when we’re done,” Sakura said and it wasn’t a question but a demand.

“Send me in,” Naruto grinned, fierce and mean.

“No. Better you’re out here. You’re quicker than me and able to guard Kakashi-sensei with clones even as you fight,” Sakura said, “Kakashi-sensei. Send me in.”

Kakashi hesitated and Sakura turned cold flat eyes onto him.

“Kakashi,” she repeated, “As your commanding officer you will obey a command.”

“This is my battle,” he replied.

“No,” Sakura and Naruto said at the exact same time.

He opened his mouth to argue and Sakura sent him her flattest glare.

“No. You don’t have to fight until you shatter, Sensei. That’s why we’re a fucking team; let us fight for you.” 

He was silent. Then he bowed his head in agreement or surrender (they were the same thing here), eye spinning sharingan red. Sakura couldn’t really describe how it felt to go so intangible you were taken out of the world and shifted into the next. It was disconcerting to someone who knew themselves down their cells, to a medic who was aware of every bit of their body. The shift was seamless thought. One moment she was in the real world, the next she was somewhere colorless and square.

The Uchiha, Obito, looked like he was expecting someone, but obviously not Sakura. He faltered and Sakura knew he’d been waiting for Kakashi-sensei, waiting for her teacher for a grudge match. Well Sakura was happy to surprise him.

Sakura took a breath and released her Seal of a Hundred. Chakra rushed through her like a tsunami, roaring through her veins. Black lines crawled across her skin and the world felt brighter, like she was a burning sun bringing light to the land. Sakura breathed and it felt like inhaling a hurricane. 

“Hello motherfucker,” Sakura cracked her knuckles. 

What happened next could only be described as a ping pong match. Sakura made this pocket world shake to its very foundation until the Uchiha had no choice but to fight her or phase back into the real world. Her hits were absolutely devastating and if he had been a normal man he’d be nothing but a smear on the ground. Naruto must have been meeting him there, claws and jutsu blazing, because every time the Uchiha fled back to fight her he was more and more tattered, more and more desperate. He started staying longer and longer in the real world, something more manic about his expression every time, as if he had was having a hard time processing what was being beat into him. Sometimes his expression flickered to something softer, more broken, and Sakura knew her blonde knuckle-headed teammate was using words as well as his fists. He looked like every other villain that had run into Naruto’s beliefs. He had the look of a man who had seen the light but couldn’t comprehend it yet.

And so Naruto and Sakura tossed him back and forth like a deranged ping pong match, Sakura’s fists sending him flying and Naruto’s jutsu sending him scurrying back to her fist. He only tried twice to force Sakura out of his space and both times Sakura came back spitting mad and stronger than before with Kakashi’s eye at her back. 

It was only after looking especially deranged and harried did he pause for one long breathe. Sakura halted her blazing fists only because she could see what was happening.

“He’s an idiot,” the Uchiha said, eyes manic, “Absolutely insane.”

“He’s Naruto,” Sakura said ignoring the way the words were torn out of her in a pant.

She couldn’t keep this up much longer. But neither could he. 

“He’s …” the man ragged, voice ragged.

“He’s Naruto,” she repeated slowly like she was talking to an idiot, “And he’s never ever going to stop or give up.”

The man stared at her, eyes dark and tired. 

“And he’s probably right,” she added.

He threw himself away, back into the world and Sakura took her breather. She crouched low, ready to react, but she had the gut feeling this battle was over. She looked at her hands and carefully flexed. Her knuckles were completely raw, her gloves pretty much shredded. She’d been digging deep for chakra, using control so fine she was amazed she hadn’t burned herself out. She was also flickering, faltering. Her Seal of a Hundred was spent and she watched the black lines fade away, burn themselves out like ash to smoke. As soon as the chakra faded she nearly pitched forward.

Sakura caught herself on her knees and focused on breathing. Her hands had a tremble, no her whole body had a tremble. Sakura pushed herself to her feet through sheer force of will and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

“If those assholes forgot about me…” she muttered.

As if called, the world wavered, dropping Sakura on trembling legs right next to Kakashi-sensei. But it was not his eye that was spinning. 

“Your student returned,” the Uchiha said, something spiteful about the twist of his smirk even from where he was bound in thick seal rope.

Naruto was beside him, fingers glowing with a seal he slammed into Uchiha even as he finished speaking. The man fell to his knees, harsh ragged breathing torn out of him. Naruto did not look unsympathetic as he hovered. Kakashi-sensei stepped closer to her, eyes darting over her like he was looking for injury. Well, she thought, there was nothing for him to see. She had survived this maniac. 

There was a moment of silence, as if the world was standing still waiting for something.

Then Kisame crashed onto their little knoll, riding a wave that soaked a yelping Naruto and Kakashi. Sakura turned into the spray and then into Kisame’s arms as he pulled her close, crushing her to him. Itachi was in his arms as well and was smooshed between them, dead to the world. 

“Sakura,” Kisame gasped into her ear. 

Sakura clung to him, wrapping her arms around him as far as she could with Itachi trapped between them. Her legs nearly gave out but Kisame seemed to have the strength to hold her up.

“You saved him,” Kisame said in her ear, voice desperate, “you saved him. And you lived.”

“Course I did,” Sakura said, trying to hide the sob that wanted to emerge, “How could I leave you two idiots alone, huh?”

Kisame curled over her, one arm still holding Itachi’s limp form close while the other curled rather possessively around Sakura.

“So this is the girl you betrayed me for?”

They half turned to face Uchiha Obito. His expression had some anger in it, but mainly just bone-deep exhaustion. 

“Fuck you,” Sakura said.

“Yeah,” Kisame said over her, “Sorry about that boss. But I decided I wanted to see if this world could be salvageable even with all the lies. I though maybe she could help me see the truth.”

“And has she?” Obito asked.

“Doesn’t matter,” Kisame said, baring his teeth in something similar to a grin, “The journey has been enough.”

Sakura didn’t know what was going on and she didn’t really care. It was taking most of her concentration to keep standing. 

“Let me see Itachi,” Sakura managed, “And where did Sasuke go?”

“Got him and his team trussed up,” Kisame said nodding in a direction.

“Kakashi,” Sakura said, “Go deal with them. Seal them up nice and tight so we can drag them back to Konoha.”

“Yes boss,” Kakashi said with a sloppy salute but something like relief hidden in his tone.

“Coward,” Obit grumbled as Kakashi-sensei fled under the illusion of orders.

“Shut up,” Sakura and Naruto said at the same time. 

“Kisame, let me see Itachi.”

Kisame laid him on the ground gently and Sakura followed him down, grateful to give her legs a rest as she kneeled. Her slug was curled up on his chest still and Sakura was surprised she hadn’t dismissed herself when Kisame squished them to his chest.

“Heartbeat is regular,” she reported, “And he’s breathing is strong. He’ll need some care when you get back to Konoha but he won’t die before then.”

“Thank you,” Sakura said, running her hand across Itachi’s face down to the pulse-point on his neck, “Will you continue to stay and monitor. Please.”

“Of course,” the slug bobbed, curling up tight on his chest. 

Sakura sat beside Itachi and simply tried to breath for a moment. Kisame stood right behind her, letting her lean back against his legs as he stared down at both of them. She craned her neck to run an eye over him but if he’d had any bad injuries, they were either invisible or already healed. His cloak was a loss, as was his shirt, but he didn’t seem bothered as he stood guard.

“Naruto,” Sakura called, “Do you have any idea where the others went?”

“No,” he shook his head, “All my clones reported their fights over and their enemies defeated. Team Gai booked it North just after they met with team Ten. Team Eight joined Sai and Yamato but my clone on them hasn’t popped so I have no idea what they’re doing.”

“You have him sealed,” she tilted her chin at the kneeling Uchiha.

“Yeah. Chakra sealed away,” he nodded.

She nodded and they fell into silence, exhausted. Sakura managed to pull herself together enough to pull a seal free that had supplies and she handed Naruto and Kisame bottles of water and high-calories protein bars. She didn’t say anything when Naruto offered Obito a water bottle, holding it up for him since his hands were immobilized. Sakura just turned and managed to coax some water down Itachi’s throat, careful not to give him too much. 

Sakura ended up half meditating as she sat there, waiting. Naruto was still standing but keeping half an eye on Obito and half an eye in the distance where Kakashi-sensei must be. Kisame stood like a guard dog, eyes sliding over to Itachi and Sakura with frequency. 

Team Eight and Yamato and Sai crashed into their knoll less than half an hour later, almost literally as they stumbled over the water to the grass, half collapsing. Sakura was on her feet a moment later, stumbling upright and crunching a soldier pill between her teeth. She was going to really really regret that later. That sort of fight plus her Seal of a Hundred would have wrecked her alone, but to throw solider pills on top of that? She was going to be fucked tomorrow and for the next week at a minimum. But that wasn’t right this moment. 

Sakura felt her chakra fizzle, almost like an electrical current as she stumbled to the newly arrived teams. Hinata had Shino on her back and shook Sakura off, muttering about chakra exhaustion. Her other slug was still with him and nodded her off as well. Hinata had some really deep gouges on her stomach but she was also a medic in training and Sakura trusted her to take care of herself for now. 

More concerning was Kiba absolutely dripping in blood. In fact he was so covered in blood it took her too long to see his injury.

“Kiba,” she said softly, because what else was there to say when a huge gouge ran across his face, cutting through what had once been his eye. 

Kiba merely grinned at her as if half his face wasn’t a ruin. Sakura was too well trained to shake as she treated what she could. She used chakra to burn out any start of any infection and unsealed spools of sanitized bandages. She ended up hacking huge parts of his hair away to properly treat and bandage the wound and then made him lay down and made Naruto supervise him as he ate and drank. Akamaru had suffered lacerations as well and Sakura had to stitch more than a few shut, chakra burning away what it could but carefully reserved in case everyone else came back with injury. 

Sai and Yamato had mainly superficial wounds as well as a few broken bones between them, but more concerning was the chakra exhaustion they were teetering on. 

“We can report later,” Yamato said, voice thick, “There’s nothing we can act on until we return to Konoha so do not think on it.”

She decided to trust him and bandaged his ribs tight. 

“Do you at least know when Team Gai and Ten will join us?”

“After we return to Konoha,” Sai managed.

“We aren’t leaving them behind,” Sakura said flatly.

“We have to. They’re miles from us now,” Yamato said.

Sakura wanted to question him but he gave her a look that said ‘don’t’. She decided to put her trust in him. Yamato would know if she needed to know something. 

“We travel back as a group,” Sakura said to everyone as they sat downing water and snacks, “And we have to move soon. This was contained within Fire-Country but we were too close to the borders and scavengers will be coming soon. Team Eight, I need you to help Kakashi-sensei. Sai, Yamato, stay beside Naruto and guard him.”

Everyone nodded faces serious even under the exhaustion.

“Sakura, I need to talk to you quickly,” Naruto murmured.

She let him drag her a few feet away.

“So here’s the thing,” Naruto said, face solemn, “I promised Konan and Nagato healing.”

“Healing? And who is Nagato?” she narrowed her eyes at him.

“Nagato is Pein. And he isn’t in great shape,” Naruto said, “They’re not bad! There is some…stuff going on.” 

“And you promised my healing,” she rubbed at her face, “Naruto, we need to get back to Konoha. Now.”

“Sakura, I promised,” he stressed.

“And you don’t understand,” Sakura lowered her voice, “We weren’t the only part of the plan.”

He stared at her.

“What?” he managed.

“Naruto,” she said slowly, “Why do you think I trusted Itachi? Why Kakashi didn’t remark on him? He’s an S-rank missing nin from our own village, our worst one. He’s the reason Sasuke left. And we just accepted him.”

Naruto opened his mouth then closed it, staring at her.

“There is more going on,” Sakura said low and dangerous, not letting him look away from her eyes as she tried to convey how serious she was, “And part of that is some trouble back home. We did our part and people back home are doing theirs. But we need to get back quick to guarantee things work out.”

Naruto grit his teeth as if trying to stop the flood of questions. She let him have a moment and watched his expression change and shift as he thought. He really had grown up she realized inanely watching his reaction. The Naruto of even two years ago would have shouted and blustered and demanded answers of whined like a brat. Now she could see as he took this in, came up with his own theories, and kept it all to himself.

“Okay,” Naruto breathed, “But Sakura, please. Can we at least bring Nagato and Konan with us? Nagato is… he’s an Uzumaki.”

Sakura opened her mouth, surprised and found herself wordless.

“Please,” Naruto whispered.

Sakura faltered. She closed her eyes and tried to rework it.

“And you trust them?” she asked.

He nodded, firm and believing. She released a breath through her nose. 

“You have trusted me,” she said, “with this whole thing. Haven’t even asked half the questions I expected.” 

Her eyes cut to Itachi and Kisame and Naruto just shrugged. 

“You’re Sakura,” he said as if reflecting her earlier words to Obito, as if that was an answer to everything.

“Okay,” Sakura breathed, “Then I’ll trust you. How many clones can you manage?”

“Twenty, maybe,” he winced, “Kurama says anymore after that much bijuu chakra and I might actually damage my coils.”

“Then make eleven,” she said, “One for Shino, one for Obito, one for each of Team Taka, one for Itachi, two for back up in case anyone else falters, and two for me.”

“Carrying them?” he asked of the names she’d listed. 

She nodded.

“And two to accompany me,” she said, “One as a second pair of eyes and one as a way to let you know when I’m on my way back.”

“What?” he blinked, 

“I’ll go help this Nagato,” Sakura said, “But we can’t afford to linger. You lead the rest and our new prisoners back to Konoha.”

“Sakura,” he paused.

“If you say I can trust them. I will,” Sakura said, “Now let’s move.”

Eleven clones peeled off of Naruto, scooping up the injured and the knocked-out prisoners (which Kakahsi-sensei had just returned with). Obito, as the only conscious one getting carried, sneered but didn’t voice any thoughts. Sakura turned to Kisame who was hovering by the Naruto clone holding Itachi.

“When you get to Konoha stick with Naruto or Kakashi, whichever one stays with Itachi. No one but them, Shizune, or Tsunade-shisou get to touch Itachi or you.”

Kisame twitched and turned a harsh glare on her.

“You say that like you aren’t coming,” he said flatly.

“I’m making a detour,” she tried flippantly, the edge of exhaustion seeping through.

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

They stared at one another, in a stalemate.

“I’ll be fine,” Sakura said, “Trust me.”

Trust, trust, trust. It seemed to make the world go around recently. 

“Don’t ask me to chose between watching over you or Itachi,” Kisame said lowly. 

“I’m not asking, I’m ordering,” Sakura drew herself up, “You need to protect Itachi for now. Konoha might not be safe for him immediately.”

“Then why are we going?” he asked, “I could just grab both of you and we could all disappear.”

“Because the problem is being solved as we speak,” Sakura said, “And…well, you can take him and run if you want, but…”

Sakura looked away a moment and then back, rolling her shoulders so she stood straighter.

“But I want you to come to Konoha with me,” she said as intently as she could, “Please Kisame.”

Their gazes locked for a long careful moment.

“Okay,” Kisame finally said, “Okay.”

She reached out to run her hand over his cheek and then everyone was scattering. 

.--.

**Author's Note:**

> Remember I aged up the characters to 18+ so Sakura wasn't underaged. So in this time-line Akatsuki moved slower in their plans. So Naruto went away from more than two years (more like 5) and all the Rookie Nine have had a lot more training time. Also the whole affair has been going on for over a year now, so lots of time to train up and build up in anticipation for this moment. 
> 
> In the manga they were all super strong by this point so I don't think it's unrealistic for a team to be able to take out an S-rank ninjas when they have time to plan, time to lay traps, and time to strategize. Some of the rookies would already be near that level of crazy anyways. Sakura and Naruto are also strong by this point, as is Sasuke. I don't care how weakened he was, Sasuke killed Orochimaru himself and they are all roughly the same strength so they are all S-class by now even if they don't recognize it.


End file.
